Rock 'n' Prog Info Main

By BigRedMachine

2008-08-09 at Slottskogen - Göteborg

The Slottskogen Goes Progressive music festival have existed for 9 years. It’s beautifully located at the “Villa Belparc” in Slottskogen, Gothenburg.

First band on stage was Johan Randen och Synkopaterna, a for me totally unknown entity. Young “hotshot”, Johan Randen’s guitar playing was jaw-dropping. Jazz-fusion with some added funk was the name of the game and Johan Randen sounded like a cross between Jeff Beck, Al De Meola and Paul Gilbert. Mark my words, he is a musician to watch out for in the future.

Next up was Moon Safari. The band has received rave reviews for their latest album “Blomljud” so my expectations were sky high. Their music owes a lot to both Yes and Genesis. That may not sound too original, but listening to Moon Safari was a joyous and very uplifting experience.

After this early climax it was time for a little brake which meant that I listened to “prog-metallers” Darkwater from a distance.

During the last couple of years Anekdoten has gone from strength to strength and although they had some minor technical problems their performance was superb.

Last band on stage was Öresund Space Collective. Their brand of spaced out and “trippy” music is fine enough, but after a while it becomes difficult to separate songs from each other.

Altogether this was a very pleasant festival and I already look forward to next year.

Slottskogen Festival Pics

By BigRedMachine

2008-06-07 at Sölvesborg- Sweden Rock Festival

Review by Harald “BigRedMachine” Bjervamoen

Blue Öyster Cult is one of the seminal American hard rock bands and their music is often billed as “thinking-man’s metal” . I don’t know about that but they sure made some great albums like “Secret Treaties” and “Agents Of Fortune” back in the 70's.

Their show at SRF08 started a little slow and unspectacular as the band played some of their (for me) lesser known songs.

Buck Dharma may not look like a rock star these day, but he sure knows how to make his guitar speak. This is particularly evident on the awesome “Then Came The Last Days Of May”. It starts out with a beautiful melody line but gradually builds and builds until it reaches an almost “FreeBird-like” climax.

Simply outstanding.

Other highlights were "Buck's Boogie", “Cities On Flame With Rock’ n Roll” and the monster hit “Don’t Fear The Reaper”.

Verdict – BÖC : 3.5/5

By BigRedMachine

2008-06-07 at Sölvesborg- Sweden Rock Festival

Reviewed by Harald "BigRedMachine" Bjervamoen

Triumph, one of Canada’s premiere hard rock band in the 70’s and 80’s broke up under very hostile circumstances in 1988. They reformed earlier this year and the Sweden Rock Show was their first live performance in 20 years.

The band came on stage and kicked off the proceedings with “When The Light Goes Down” followed by “Lay It On The Line”. Triumph sounded a little rusty and their long period of inactivity clearly showed. They continued with “Allied Forces”, one of my all time favourite Triumph tracks but I felt it was done without the right spirit and guts.
With “Never Surrender “and “I Live For The weekend”, things finally started to gel. On record I love the adventurous “Blinding Light Show/Moon Child” but in the live setting before a hungry hard rock crowd it fell short.
Why a band with such a long list of great tracks chooses to play a cover like “Rocky Mountain Way” is beyond my grasp.
Thankfully, it was followed by an outstanding version of “Magic Power” on which Rik Emmet proved that he had lost none of his former vocal power. Clearly the best number of the show.
On the following “Rock & Roll Machine”, Emmet showed that he still can make his guitar speak with a blistering solo.
The show ended with another favourite, “Fight the Good Fight”.

Summing it all up, this concert was a let down, but my expectations were probably way too high.

Verdict 2,5/5

By BigRedMachine

2008-06-06 at Sölvesborg- Sweden Rock Festival

Review by Harald “BigRedMachine” Bjervamoen

After the great Birth Control gig (se separate review) it was hard to keep up the interest for yet another band, but Tesla managed to do so with a surprisingly heavy set. The reminded me of old-style Aerosmith.
In Jeff Keith, they have a formidable front man, but after a while his “strained” vocal style becomes a little tedious. Guitarist Frank Hannon was in top form, churning out heavy riffs as well as blistering solos and nice acoustic guitar.

When Whitesnake appeared at SRF in 2006 they disappointed me no end and I promised myself that I would never see them again. Now, with a surprisingly vital new album just released I had to change my mind.
This time around David Coverdale’s performance is much better than I had feared and he looks truly happy with the response from the audience.
The guitar duo of Doug Aldrich and Reb Beach usually gets slagged off by Whitesnake purists for being too heavy metal. I believe that is unjust criticism because it’s these two gentlemen that pushes the band forward these days.

The Industrial rock of Ministry is not my cup of tea, but I decided I would give them a chance. A couple of numbers were OK, but after a while it all became too undynamic and stale for me. The fans seemed to love it , especially the diehards in the “mosh-pit”

From one extreme to another, Def Leppard was next up.
Last time they appeared at SRF it was pure nostalgia, but a reprise return only 2 years later looked like being a let dow. Sadly, it was just that.

Verdict-
Tesla : 4/5,
Whitesnake 3,5/5,
Def Leppard : 2/5

By BigRedMachine

2008-06-06 at Sölvesborg- Sweden Rock Festival

Review by Harald "BigRedMachine" Bjervamoen

Birth Control has always been one of my favourite German bands. They are often billed as “kraut- rock” but in my mind, progressive hard rock with a touch of blues is a much more adequate description of what they sound like.
The band had their heyday in the 70’s and the only musician from that time period in the current lineup is drummer/vocalist Bernd “Nossi” Noske, so my anticipation before their show was not that high.
Thankfully, Birth Control proved me wrong, delivering a well played and very enjoyable set highlighted with songs like “Trail Trip” and a 20minute plus version of “Gamma Ray”.

Easily the best concert at Sweden Rock 2008.

Verdict 4/5

By BigRedMachine

2008-06-05 at Sölvesborg- Sweden Rock Festival

Review by Harald “BigRedMachine” Bjervamoen

First band for me at Sweden Rock Festival 2008 was Coheed & Cambria, one of the best “new” bands around these days. Their music is best described as “emo-rock” with progressive elements.
Communication between stage and audience were largely non existent, but Coheed & Cambria let the music speak for itself and delivered a great set. It was highlighted by a drawn out and intense instrumental workout at the end. Why they chose to nearly ruin it all with a pointless drum solo at the end of the show is a mystery to me.

Rick Derringer is undoubtedly a gifted guitarist, but strangely enough his band Derringer never made a big impact on me in the 70’s. Their musical style, heavy blues rock is usually right up my alley but Derringers version is simply too pedestrian for me.
After a while my mind wandered off and I decided to explore another musical genre altogether in the shape and form of “Trash-metal” mongers Testament.
So-called Trash-metal is not my type of music but Testament impressed me no ends with their energy and sheer power. Needless to say the punters at the front were in a frenzy.

After a reluctant and sluggish start , which included a couple of tracks from the adventurous new album “Nostradamus”, Thursdays headliner Judas Priest gradually built up the intensity level with fine versions of “Sinner” and “Breaking The Law”.
Sadly enough they had dropped “Victim of Changes”, my favourite Priest number.
The tried and trusted Harley was brought out for “Hell Bent For Leather” before they said goodbye with a storming version of “The Green Manalishi”.
Robert Halford had some problems in the beginning but his voice got better as the concert went along. KK Downing and Glenn Tipton are very seasoned guys and “delivered” as usual.

Verdict -
Coheed & Cambria : 4/5 ,
Derringer : 2/5,
Testament : 3,5/5,
Judas Priest : 3/5

By HazelNutz

2008-03-10 at The 21st Annivesary Schizoid Boat - Silja Symphony

Review by Harald "BigRedMachine" Bjervamoen

Going on stage as the last band, at 2.00 AM on a two day boat trip across the Baltic Sea is not an easy task, but Leaf Hound grit their teeth and played a blinder.

They kicked off the proceedings with "One Hundred And Five Degrees", a classic, heavy blues number. The first part of the concert was dominated by songs from their new album, "Unleashed". A personal favourite, "The Man With the Moon In Him" elevated the concert from good to excellent.

Leaf Hound's rhythm section, Jimmy Rowland (drums) and Ed Pearson (bass) is tight, powerful and solid as a rock, giving plenty of room for guitarist Luke Rayner to show off his skills. Peter French, bandleader, vocalist and sole survivor from the original line-up is a perfect, gentleman-like front man. Despite some minor throat problems his vocal delivery was just about faultless.
Opeth's keyboard player Per Wiberg were invited on stage for a lengthy version of "Breakthrough", the classic Atomic Rooster number. Sporting a headband, he looked like the late and great Vincent Crane. A highlight indeed, only surpassed by a magnificent version of "Growers Of Mushroom", on which the band whipped up a storm with some incredibly heavy and psychedelic jamming.

Leaf Hound's concert was a fitting finale to a great and progressive musical weekend.

Verdict 4,5/5

Leaf Hound Pics

By BigRedMachine

2008-03-08 at The 21st Annivesary Schizoid Boat - Silja Symphony

Review by Harald "BigRedMachine" Bjervamoen

Last year, the record store/label Mellotronen, specialising in progressive music celebrated their 20th anniversary with a 24 hour musical boat trip across the Baltic sea. The line up then comprised of many legendary Swedish prog-band's like November, Fläsket Brinner and Life. It was a formidable success both musically and commercially so plans were made for a new event this year.

To top last year's event, the organiser Stefan Dimle knew it had to be something really special. It ended up as a progressive music bonanza lasting over 40 hours, with such diverse acts as the cult psychedelic folk band Comus, progressive death metal merchants Opeth as well as legendary heavy blues rockers Leaf Hound.

I have attended several great performances by opening act Anekdoten during the last years, but this ranks as their best and by far the heaviest. They created an almost hypnotic atmosphere with their music.

Opeth, the Swedish progressive death metal band was met with a great deal of anticipation and entered the stage to roaring applause. Growling is not a personal favourite, but when it's done with style it adds a new dimension to the music. Mikael Åkerfeldt is one of few growler's that is capable of this, but it's when he sings with a normal voice that Opeth really hits home with me. A couple of new tracks were aired and they really promised a lot for the upcoming album. The crowd response was extremely powerful, at times almost religious.

Later, on a much smaller stage, QOPH, Sweden's answer to Captain Beyond whipped up a storm. Despite sound problems they did a great job. Guitarist Filip Norman really let his guitar speak with some outrageous wah-wah solos.

Sunday’s activities started with Bo Hansson a Swedish organ player famous for his “Lord of the Rings” and “Magician’s Hat” albums released in the early seventies. He was joined on staged by Eric Malmberg , also on organ and drummer Niklas Korssel. The music was laid back and enjoyable, but after a while it just became to undemanding for my musical tastes.

Comus, the psychedelic folk rockers were next band the main stage. They got a fantastic reception from the audience and at times the band members looked almost chocked. They have never been one of my favourite bands but their performance impressed me no end. Singer/guitarist Roger Wotton almost spitted out the words and the interplay with Glen Goring on guitar was perfect. Frankly, I have never witnessed acoustic folk music being played with such power as this. Wow!!

Katatonia was a new experience for me. Their brand of Tool-inspired progressive rock has a lot going for it and certainly a band worth some more investigation.

Leaf Hound who came on as last band, when all were very tired, did an amazing job (Se separate review).

Sadly, I missed both Trettioåriga Kriget and Plankton but judging by reports from usually reliable sources they both made excellent performances.

To sum it up, this was by far the most enjoyable 40 hours of music I have ever experienced.

Verdict -
Anekdoten: 4/5,
Opeth: 4,5/5,
QOPH: 4/5,
Bo Hansson: 2,5/5,
Comus:4/5,
Katatonia 3,5/5,
Leaf Hound : 4,5/5

Opeth Pics
Comus Pics

By BigRedMachine

2008-03-05 at Debaser - Medis

Don't miss the world's no 1 blues guitarist in action.

By BigRedMachine

2007-11-11 at Södra Teaterns Kägelbana

Review by Harald ”BigRedMachine” Bjervamoen.

During the last couple of years I have attended several Anekdoten concerts. All of them have been pleasant experiences but yesterday’s performance ranks at the best yet.

The band played several songs like “The Great Unknown”, “A Sky About To Rain” and “In For A Ride” from their latest album “A Time Of Day”.
One of my all time favourite Anekdoten tracks “Ricochet” was given a very fine interpretation. In the past I have often criticised the bands vocal delivery but especially on this one it all fell into place.
Drummer Peter Nordins was impressive as always, Anna Sofi Dahlberg built large soundscapes with her keyboards while bass player Jan Erik Liljeström was steady as ever. In addition to this, Nicklas Barker provided very inspired and psychedelic guitar work .

After Anekdoten’s magnificent performance it was time for Poland’s top progressive rock band Riverside to enter the stage. On record the band often allow themselves to be mellow and introvert but in the live format they sounded more progmetal than prog.
The band proved to be very capable and in Mariusz Duda they not only have a formidable vocalist but also a fine bass player.
Piotr Grudzinski looked like a mean guitar shredder but his performance was often surprisingly subtle. At times he sounded like a cross between Steve Hackett and David Gilmore. Piotr Kozieradzki is a hard hitting drummer but lacks the groove of the evening’s fellow powerhouse Peter Nordins from Anekdoten. Keyboardist Michal Lapaj did his job without overdoing it.

As a whole the set suffered from a couple of indistinct numbers but also one extreme highlight like the stunning “Second Life Syndrome” .

Verdict: Anekdoten 4/5
Verdict: Riverside 3/5

Anekdoten Pics
Riverside Pics

http://www.sodrateatern.com/

By BigRedMachine

2007-10-27 at Stockholm - Globen

Review by Harald ”BigRedMachine” Bjervamoen.

When Rush visited Stockholm during the 30'th Anniversary "R30" tour the set list was very "best-of" and nostalgic. Now, 3 years later the band are out on a new world tour and on Oct 27 it was time for another show at the Globe Arena.

This time the set list was a totally different ballgame, dominated by the new album Snakes & Arrows as well as their 80's catalogue. The new tracks fitted surprisingly well into the set, particularly "The Main Monkey Business", "Workin’ Them Angles" and "Malignant Narcissism". The latter featured brilliant bass playing by Geddy Lee and served as a stepping stone for Neil Peart’s fantastic and innovative drum-solo.

Rush music is often quite demanding and hard to digest for the casual or uninitiated listener. The band concentrates on the music and very little playing for the gallery is going on. This is particularly evident during the first part of the concert. In my mind the show would have benefited from a couple of old heavy rocking crowd-pleasers like “Anthem” or “Working Man” instead of the quite frankly boring “Entre Nous”. Highlight’s of the first part was the beautiful “Mission” and a dark and brooding version of “Between The Wheels”.

Second part of the show kicked off with “Far Cry” , the fist single off the new album. A couple of new songs later the concert was elevated to a higher level with a superb version of “Subdivisions” followed by the exceptional “Natural Science”.

After the before mentioned drum solo, the rest of the show was all highlights for me.

So far the audience had been very restrained but a rousing version of “Spirit Of The Radio” followed by “Tom Sawyer” got the crowd going.
After a brief break the band came back for encores with “One Little Victory”, “A Passage To Bangkok “ and the instrumental masterpiece “YYZ”.

Musically the band has few peers but the show was surprisingly free of instrumental indulgence. Geddy Lee worked his ass off playing bass, keyboards, pedals as well as handling the vocals, while guitarist “Big Al” Lifeson was somewhat restrained and Neal Peart provided immaculate drums as usual.

Verdict : Part 1 : 3/5
Verdict : Part 2 : 4,5/5

http://www.ticnet.se

By BigRedMachine

2007-09-07 at Stockholm - China Theatre

Review by Harald ”BigRedMachine” Bjervamoen.

I went to this David Sylvian concert with an open mind, and really didn’t know what to expect.
He was big in the late 70’s early 80’s when he was a member of new-romantic pop band Japan, but after that he went solo and over the years he has collaborated with people like Robert Fripp, Ryuichi Sakamoto and Holger Czukay.

This was the first night on “The World Is Everthing” tour and David Sylvian admitted that he and the band was very nervous.
The stage set was sombre and so was the bands music, containing elements of both jazz, ambient and electronica.

Everything was executed in a nice and calm way. David Sylvain’ has always had a very special voice and judging by this performance it’s still intact.
Although the music was fine, well played and often beautiful, it became rather dulling in the long run. Nothing really stood out and the band was not as musical adventures as I had hoped for. The only one that came remotely close in doing so was drummer Steve Jansen.
In addition this concert lacked a couple of up-tempo numbers, to change the pace.

Verdict : 3/5

By BigRedMachine

2007-09-01 at Alcazar(Nalen)

Reviewed by Harald “BigRedmachine” Bjervamoen

Octopus, for me a totally unknown band from Chile opened up the evenings proceedings. They proved to be a jaw-dropping tight unit, playing extremely intricate and heavy prog-fusion. Each individual member showed incredible musical skills, handling the often complex music with great ease. A very pleasant surprise.

The evening belonged to Trettioåriga Kriget who celebrated the release of their new album “I Början Och Slutet”. The band was in great shape and played a mix of both old and new song. Some of the new songs like “Barndom” ,“Ungdom” and the title track “I Början och Slutet” are really impressive and were well received by an enthusiastic audience.
The old and familiar stuff really got the crowd going, forcing the band to come back and play 3 encores.

http://www.trettioarigakriget.com/news.htm

By BigRedMachine

2007-07-29 at Stockholm - Tantogården

Reviewed by Harald “BigRedMachine” Bjervamoen

After a long wait, it was finally time for Joe Bonamassa to visit Stockholm. In my opinion, he is one of the best blues guitarist around these days. The thing that distinguishes the New York born American from fellow blues guitar players is his distinct British influence (“Jeff Beck”, ”Jimmy Page” and “Peter Green”).
It’s clear from the start that he means business, kicking off with a driving “Bridge To Better Days” from his latest studio album “You And Me”.

Joe Bonamassa makes his Les Paul bleed from the word GO.

For the most part the set is up-tempo but it also contains some slow, standard blues numbers delivered with great aplomb.

Halfway through the set, he puts on a acoustic guitar, plays a lengthy “Django” and literally blows my mind with his power and spellbinding technique. Usually, unplugged is a dirty word in my vocabulary, but this was surely something else.

It was time to go electric one more time and the main set ended with a thunderous version of ZZ Top’s “Just Go Paid” mixed with the heavy parts of Zeppelin’s “Dazed & Confused”.

After such a jaw dropping experience, the audience wanted more and Joe Bonamassa came back for encores. He slowed things down with “Asking Around For You” before ending the show with some magnificent excerpts from “Los Endos” by Genesis.

Needless to say, his backing band was brilliant.

Verdict : 4,5/5
Joe Bonamassa Pics

By BigRedMachine

2007-06-09 at Sölvesborg- Sweden Rock Festival

Review by Harald “BigRedMachine” Bjervamoen.

For info about Focus and Trouble see separate reviews.
In between Trouble and Magic Pie I had the misfortune to witness Black Oak Arkansas. Usually I love Southern Rock, but BOA’s brand is just too “White Trash” for me. Unspectacular in every sense of the word and Jim Dandy is one of the “creepiest” frontmen I have ever witnessed. A complete nightmare and when he picked up the infamous washboard during the godawful “Uncle Elijah”, it was time for me to leave…..
Motörhead’s performance was their 6’th in 10 years and since I’m no big fan I have missed them all. This year I decided to make up for that, but sadly I must report that I gave up after a couple of songs. They sounded as one- dimensional as I feared.
Earlier in the evening I missed REO Speedwagon’s show, and from usually reliable sources I have gathered that this was a big mistake.

Verdict Motörhead: 2,5/5
Verdict Black Oak Arkansas: 0.5/5
Black Oak Arkansas Pics

By BigRedMachine

2007-06-09 at Sölvesborg- Sweden Rock Festival

Review by Harald “BigRedMachine” Bjervamoen.

Magic Pie is one of the best new prog acts that have emerged in recent years, so when it was announced that Norway’s finest were to play SRF 07 I nearly jumped with joy.
The band appeared at the Zeppelin Stage, notoriously known for its bad sound.
Magic Pie’s music is vocal heavy (3 singers), intricate and melodic and quite demanding to reproduce in the live format. Despite some minor misses and sound problems, the band fared well.
One man impressed me more that the others and that was main songwriter and guitarist Kim Stenberg, who’s varied guitar style was a joy to behold. At times he reminded me of a cross between Al Di Meola and Richie Blackmore.
A large part of the show was devoted to their excellent new CD “Circus Of Life”. Doing so can cause problems with lack of familiarity, but since the new album is far better that their debut “Motions Of Desire”, it was a wise move.

Verdict : 3.5/5

Magic Pie Pics

By BigRedMachine

2007-06-09 at Sölvesborg- Sweden Rock Festival

Review by Harald “BigRedMachine” Bjervamoen.

My knowledge about American doom metal band Trouble is a bit limited, so when they entered the stage I didn’t know what to expect.
Chain-smoking vocalist Eric Wagner seemed to be a bit “out-of-touch” but there was nothing wrong with his vocal performance and his laid back style contrasted well with the bands heavy rocking. For the most part the music was aggressive and energetic heavy rock but it also had some moments of Beatlesque psychedelia.
The two guitar players Bruce Franklin and Rick Wartell were given plenty of room to solo, but what impressed me most was their immaculate twin-guitar playing, which often reminded me of both Wishbone Ash and Thin Lizzy.
Playing on the big Festival Stage in the middle of the day with a burning sun overhead is not the ideal setting for a band like Trouble, but I think they made the best out of it.

Verdict : 4/5

Trouble Pics

By BigRedMachine

2007-06-09 at Sölvesborg- Sweden Rock Festival

Review by Harald “BigRedMachine” Bjervamoen.

Wow, this was really something special.
Before Focus performance I had my doubts about their capability to deliver in the live format without Jan Akkerman, but boy was I surprised. Initially bandleader Thijs Van Leer sat behind his Hammond organ, looking like a jovial “santa-claus”. He is not only a great keyboardist both also a immaculate flute-player. The rest of the band consisted of drummer Pierre van der Linden, bass player Bobby Jacobs and last but not least guitarist Niels van der Steenhoven. The latter had the rather daunting job to replace Jan Akkerman, but he succeeded in every way.
Focus played lots of their most well know numbers like “Hocus Pocus”, “Sylvia” and “Harem Scarem”. The highpoint of their set and probably the whole festival was the exceptional “Eruption”, a (long) piece of music that contains all the elements I want to hear in progressive/symphonic rock.

Verdict : 4,5/5

Focus Pics

By BigRedMachine

2007-06-08 at Sölvesborg- Sweden Rock Festival

Review by Harald “BigRedMachine” Bjervamoen.

Gov’t Mule and Point Blank was two of the main reasons for me attending this year’s Sweden Rock Festival. The latter’s performance had already met my high expectations so now it was up to Gov’t Mule to do likewise.
From the outset, the band’s groove oriented blues rock is perfect for an afternoon in the sun. Bandleader and guitarist extraordinary Warren Haynes is certainly not the most lively front man in rock so the big Festival Stage became a drawback for the band.
The lack of stage presence was compensated by immaculate musicianship throughout the whole concert.
Warren Haynes is a master guitarist and at times his playing sent shivers down my spine. In addition to that he has a soulful voice.
The rest of the band was very tight and created a steady groove. Drummer Matt Abts impressed my with his cool and laid back style and Danny Louis provided some entertaining (old-style) keyboard playing.
Gov’t Mule set only lasted for about 1 ½ hour and that is probably too short for a band that usually plays sets twice as long.
This performance only whet my appetite so hopefully the band will return to Sweden soon.

Verdict : 4/5

Set List:
Blind Man In The Dark
Bad Little Doggie
Mr. High & Mighty
Brand New Angel
About To Rage
Bad Man Walking
Streamline Woman
Larger Than Life
Rocking Horse
Banks of The Deep End
Slackjaw Jezebel
Soulshine
Mule

Govt Mule Pics

By BigRedMachine

2007-06-08 at Sölvesborg- Sweden Rock Festival

Review by Harald “BigRedMachine” Bjervamoen.

Anekdoten is a very special band which music is all but easy to digest and from the outset really not suited for a hard rock festival like SRF. Thankfully, there are still room for music like this.
Anekdotens’s music just grows and grows on you and before you know it you are in a trance-like state. At times the music reminds me of Hawkwind.
Their original bass player and vocalist has just become a father and was replaced for this occasion. This meant that a lot of pressure was put on Nicklas Barker who had to handle all the vocals. He did a great job with that, but I feel that the vocal’s is Anekdoten’s Achilles-heel.

Verdict : 3.5/5

Anekdoten Pics

By BigRedMachine

2007-06-08 at Sölvesborg- Sweden Rock Festival

Review by Harald “BigRedMachine” Bjervamoen.

After Anekdoten (se separate review) it was off to watch The Answer, Ireland’s finest rock export in ages. Front-man Cormac Neeson is a very energetic figure and pushed himself and the band to the hilt. Their blend of hard blues rock is very entertaining, but in the end a little variation would not go amiss.
Gov’t Mule are handled in a separate review so lets move over to Swedish 70’s progressive rock band November. After 35 years of inactivity they have returned to playing live. Their brand of heavy rock sounds just like it did 35 years ago. If you ask me, this is a positive thing. Richard Rolf is an exemplary guitarist and Christer Stålbrandts vocals plus very upfront bass was a joy to behold. Drummer Björn Inge sounded a little uneasy in the beginning but he just got better and better throughout their set.
After a break for dinner and some relaxation it was time for Friday’s headliner Aerosmith.I have always had a soft spot for them, specially their 70’s material.
They didn’t play many of these songs but despite that they completely blew me away with their sheer power and enthusiasm. Aerosmith is by far the best headliner I have witnessed on Sweden Rock Festival over the years. Talk about star quality!!!

Verdict Aerosmith: 4,5/5
Verdict November: 3,5/5
Verdict The Answer : 3/5
The Answer Pics

By BigRedMachine

2007-06-07 at Sölvesborg- Sweden Rock Festival

Review by Harald “BigRedMachine” Bjervamoen.

First band off was Bluestone Company, billed as a Japanese Allman Brothers. I expected a lot from them, but there was something missing, probably memorable songs.
Next up, Thunder, the first band to appear on the big Festival Stage. In Danny Bowes they have a good front-man with a great voice. The first part of their concert was really entertaining as the band pulled out all the stops, but the intensity waned about halfway through their set. All in all a satisfactory performance from Thunder.
Back in the tent Backdraft played a blinder and proved that Southern rock is still alive and well in Sweden.
Later on in the evening, Meatloaf surprised me totally. Vocally he had big problems, but musically it was far more adventurous than expected.
Thin Lizzy followed, playing to the biggest crowd I have ever seen in front of Sweden Stage. From my place at the back, the sound was poor but from what I gathered the crowd loved every minute of it.

Thursdays headliner Heaven & Hell entered the stage to thunderous applause. Many consider this to be the ultimate Black Sabbath line-up, but I’m not. Of course, Ronnie James Dio is a better vocalist than Ozzy, but after a while it became apparent that the material (only 3 albums) is a little limited. However, the sound was impeccable, and Tony Iommi’s guitar playing was very powerful. A true master of the power chord.

Verdict Heaven & Hell: 3,5/5
Verdict Backdraft: 3,5/5
Verdict Meatloaf : 3/5
Verdict Thunder: 3/5
Verdict Bluestone Company 2,5/5
Bluestone Company Pics
Thunder Pics

By BigRedMachine

2007-06-07 at Sölvesborg- Sweden Rock Festival

Review by Harald “BigRedMachine” Bjervamoen.

Legendary Southern rockers Point Blank’s gig at SRF07 was their first ever in Sweden. Back in the 70's they were supposed to follow in ZZ Top's footsteps, but Point Blank never reached that stature, instead they became a cult band among Southern rock connoisseurs.
The band that entered the stage proved to be a surprisingly vital combo. They kicked off the proceedings with a groovy version of "Back In the Alley" and the standard was set.
Bandleader, vocalist and guitar player Rusty Burns who looked like a cool and mean “steel-grandpa” sure knows his way around his instrument, ripping out intense solos as well as more mellow stuff. Second guitarist Buddy Whittington is a more traditional blues guitar player so the two complement each other real well. During the set they delivered some amazing guitar duels.
John O’Daniel provided fine vocals throughout the set. The rhythm section consisting of Phillip Petty (bass) plus Buzzy Gruen (drums), provided a steady backbone.
Point Blank played a lot of their best (and heaviest) tracks like “Nasty Notions” , “Uncle Ned”, “Free Man”, “Tattoe’d Lady” but strangely not “Thank You Mama”.
This was certainly one of the best performances on this years Sweden Rock Festival.

Verdict : 4/5

Point Blank Pics
http://www.swedenrock.com/

By BigRedMachine

2007-06-06 at Sölvesborg- Sweden Rock Festival

Review by Harald “BigRedMachine” Bjervamoen.

This years festival kicked off one day earlier than usual, but on thing always remains the same and that is beautiful weather.
First band for me was Sweden’s Nocturnal Rites who specializes in melodic hard rock. They were well received by a relatively large audience and a positive surprise for me.
Next up were Black Debbath, the political heavy rockers from Norway. They played in a large tent, packed with people. Their music is rather pedestrian hard rock, but the added political dimension (with lots of humour) makes them very enjoyable act.
Wednesday’s headliners The Australian Pink Floyd Show promised a lot, but after a while their note by note cover versions became rather boring. Just recently I attended a Roger Waters concert where many of the same songs were played, and compared to that TAPFS fell flat on the ground.

Verdict Nocturnal Rites: 3/5
Verdict Black Debbath: 3/5
Verdict TAPFS : 2/5

Nocturnal Rites Pics

By BigRedMachine

2007-05-10 at Stockholm - Debaser

Don't miss the legendary stoner rockers Fu Manchu.
http://www.debaser.nu

By BigRedmachine

2007-04-27 at Stockholm - Globe Areana

Review by Harald "BigRedMachine" Bjervamoen

The Globe Arena was jam packed with expectant Roger Waters and Pink Floyd fans, and I'm happy to report that they were served one hell of a show, both musically and visually.
The concert was divided in two parts and the first was kicked off with "In The Flesh" and "Mother" from The Wall. Unlike many others I'm no superfan of this album so it was not before the third song "Set The Controls For The heart Of The Sun" everything gelled for me. After this pshychedelic masterpiece it was straigth into nirvana as Waters and band plunged into a trio of songs from "Wish You were Here" ("Shine On", "Have A Cigar" and "Whish you Were Here").
It was back to reality again with "Southampton Dock" and "The Fletcher memorial Home" from The Final Cut album followed by "Perfect Sense Pt 1 & 2" from Waters own album "Amused To Death".
Next up, "Leaving Beirut" was the evenings only new number. I'm no fan of political sloganering and that part almost ruined this otherwise fine song for me. By the way it contained some gritty and "non Gilmore'ish" guitar courtesy of Andy Fairweather-Low.
The first set ended with a splendid version of "Sheep" from the Animals album.
Second set kicked off with "Dark Side Of The Moon"(almost in it's entirety). The performance was brilliant, my only complaint being that their version of "Money" was just a little bit sloppy.
It's though to top such a masterpiece and Waters did not manage that even if the crowd shouted their lungs out during "Another Brick In The Wall".
The band left the stage to raptous applause but came back shortly afterwards for the encore playing "Comfortably Numb", one of my alltime favourite Floyd tracks.
To sum this up, it was an amazing and very entertaining show, payed by expert musicians. The special effects, literally taking place over the heads of the audience, included among others a flying pig, a laserpyramid and an astronaut. Simply outstanding!

Verdict : 4/5

http://www.ema.se/